Moemi has brought me so much happiness when reading the previous volumes, and this one did as well! I thought it was a fun conclusion to the series, even if I was a little worried at first with how the volume began! LOL!
However, I shouldn't have worried because this creator has proven true that despite any misunderstanding or mishaps along the way, they are always cleared up at some point! I actually really enjoyed certain parts having just that because I LOVED seeing a certain character express how they were jealous! Hehe!
The ending was the sweetest, and I deeply enjoyed it! I'm very thankful I gave this series a chance because it is definitely going to be one of my go-to series for fluffy comfort rereads!
It’s End Okay End for Home Sweet Home, which probably could have gotten out last time and precious little would have been lost. It’s not that this is especially bad, it’s just not especially good.
The parts where Moemi and Hiiragi are being dead cute together are really sweet. I think Moemi’s actually my favourite of all the characters of Mizuno-san’s that I have encountered. She’s got just the right amount of perky charm.
Hiiragi’s not a bad boyfriend either, although his response to Moemi being unwittingly attractive to all the guys at their school during sports day is one of those things that always rankles me. If she wants to bare that midriff, dude, mind your business.
Most of this volume involves the goofery that was present in Rainbow Days and it distracts from the cute flirting for me because I don’t find it all that amusing. The school trip separates our leads and this develops into cell phone drama which isn’t terribly interesting.
It all ties into an ongoing long-distance relationship subplot that also turns out to be a massively long walk for a joke, which really annoyed me. Again, this seems to be Mizuno focusing on their weaknesses rather than their strengths.
When it’s more zeroed in on the romance? Really great. The camping trip, featuring an amusing shout-out to Laid-Back Camp, is what the story should have ended on. It has some actually okay laughs, tons of heart, and an adorable shared moment under the night sky. It’s the perfect showcase for what I loved here.
Then there’s a final chapter that doesn’t wrap much up. It gets a couple of kisses in there, but it’s decidedly less romantic than the trip and just sort of pops off with ‘well, we’re good to go’. Better than a confession and fade to black ending, but only just.
Given the slide over the course of the three volumes, this might be the legit definition of diminishing returns. I tend to be less enamoured of subsequent volumes as a rule, but this one really went down a notch each time.
3.5 stars - the extra half is entirely for the camping chapter. I would say that this got out while the getting was tepid. Fabulous start, fun middle, acceptable, yet slightly underwhelming, end. Not bad, overall, but unexceptional.
Home Sweet Home is at its core a pretty standard shoujo manga; Moemi is used to transferring to new schools due to her father's job. This time she's had enough and and wants to stay - her parents agree as long as she doesn't live by herself. It turns out that her father's boss also has a child in the same position so the parents agree that they can become flatmates and no longer need to move around with them. Moemi was pleased until she realised her new flatmate is actually a boy - Ryouhei.
Unexpected co-living is a pretty common trope but I quite liked that this one is based on more than the usual rather far fetched rental contract stuff up. I really like Moemi - she feels well balanced and I like that she's neither hostile nor head over heels about Ryouhei. She genuinely wants to get along with him as a friend and flatmate and that allows for a nice and steady development between the two. Besides that, she has a best friend who, while not super developed, makes for a nice girl friendship addition. The rest of the supporting cast is also not overly developed but they fulfill their purpose; they're supportive and help the main characters figure out their wants and needs. Even the rivals and apparently less likeable characters were pretty neat additions.
The plot is otherwise pretty basic but it feels pretty wholesome and sweet. The drama is fairly low and I think it's really nice how they do have misunderstandings but they always talk things through and find a way to work. There is no massive jealousies or serious arguments. We also occassionally get Ryouhei's point of view which also helps to see how things developed from his end.
The art is simple but super cute, I really like it. The one downside is actually its length; I love a nice high school romance on the shorter side but this one could really have had another volume or two. Don't get me wrong, it's neither axed nor underdeveloped as such, but I did feel like the final volume didn't quite hit any climax. It's a romance but due to how well the leads manage their relationship, it has a bit of a slice of life feeling and technically one could have finished the series at almost any point. As a result, the final volume didn't leave anything open as such, but it doesn't didn't feel like you've reached the end of a journey. It's a shame, but I'd argue that it doesn't take away from the series overall; it's simple but really cute and I think a good read for anyone who just wants an easy time with a cute high school romance.
communication too good to get a fully developed story with all the cliches ): i would’ve LOVED to see the classic beach or festival dates or their dynamic when they’re in uni [sigh] still very cute i love them
I loved the art and I liked the characters but it was missing something? The story really wasn’t unique or that interesting. It’s short, sweet and simple. Nothing groundbreaking.